Phonograph cut-off.



J. N. M. KEYZER.

PHONOGRAPH CUT-OFF. APPLICATION FI'LED APR.28. 19H.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- 1 v INVENTOR 3 ATTO R N EV Patented Apr. 23, 1918.

J. N. M. KEYZER. I 'PHONOGRAPH CUT-OFF. APPLICATION FILED APR. 28. m7.

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ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 23, I918.

JOSEPH-N. IVL KEYZER, OF LYNCHB'URG, VIRGINIA.

PI-IQNOGRAPH CUT-OFF.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OSEPH N. M. KnYznR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ly nchburg, in the county of Campbell and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Phonograph Gut-Ofi's, of which the following is a specification. p

This invention relates to phonograph cutoifs, and more particularly to a braking attachment for a phonograph which is espec ially adapted to be actuated by the tone arm sov as to stop the table when the end of the piece being reproduced has been reached thus eliminating the scratching of the needle over the disk after the comple tion of a piece.

One of the main objects of the invention is to provide an automatic cut-off or braking attachment for phonographs of simple construction and operation which may be readily applied to a phonograph of standard construction. A further object is to provide a device of the character stated which is actuated by the tone arm so as to stop the rotation of the table carrying the disk when the tone arm has reached a predetermined position above the table. A further object is to provide resilient means for stopping the rotation of the-table so as to eliminate all danger of injury to the phonograph due to sudden stoppage of the table. A still further object is to provide a braking member which is movable into and out of engagement with the peripheral face of the table together with means for normally holding this member in inoperative position, means being provided above the table and engageable by a tone arm movable over the table for releasing the braking member and permitting the same to be moved into engagement with the table. Further objects will appear from the detailed description.

, In the drawings Figure 1 is a top plan view of a braking attachment constructed in accordance with my invention as applied,

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of a modified form,

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the braking device and the tripping means therefor, and

' Fig. 5 is a back view of the same.

The table 1 is rotatably supported above Specification of Letters Patent. Patrg nteflt Ap $23 191% Application filed April 28, 1917.

Serial No. 165,195.

the top 2 of the phonograph casing on the shaft 3, in the usual manner, this table being rotated by the well known spring motor or by any other equivalent means. A U- shaped bracket 1 is secured to the top 2, the open side of this bracket being positioned closely adjacent the peripheral face of table 1. A. vertical shaft 5 is rockably mounted in bracket 4. A relatively thick rubber disk 6 is secured on shaft 5 beneath the upper arm 7 of bracket 4. This disk is secured eccentrically on the shaft so that, when the shaft is rocked in a counter-clockwise direction, the disk will be moved into engagement with the table 1, thus serving to brake the same.

The shaft 5 projects a considerable distance above the upper arm 7 of bracket 4:. A supporting arm 8 is provided at its outer end with an integral sleeve 9 which fits snugly about the shaft, the arm being thus mounted for movement with the shaft in either direction. Arm 8 extends, when in operative position, inward above the table 1 to within a short distance of the center thereof. This arm is turned up at a right angle at its inner end and is bifurcated to form the spaced supporting ears 10. A trip lever 11 is pivotally secured between the cars 10 by a pivot pin 12 inserted through the same and through the ears. This lever extends outwardly through the upper portion of shaft 5, which is bifurcated for this purpose as at 5, and is then turned down.- ward to provide a locking finger 13. This finger 13 engages behind an integral lug 1 1 formed on the upper arm 7 of bracket 4:. A coil spring 15 is mounted about shaft 5 below disk 6 and has its lower arm 16 secured to the bottom plate 17 of bracket at, and its upper arm 18 secured to the under face of disk 6. This spring 15 acts to normally swing the disk 6 inward toward the table 1, as will. be clear from Fig. 2 of the drawings. A leaf spring 19 is secured in the upper end of shaft 5 and acts to normally hold the outer end of trip lever 11 depressed with the locking finger 13 be-- hind lug 1a thus effectually preventing inward movement of disk 6. When the trip ping shaft 11 is secured in this position, the inner arm 1]. thereof projects across the center of the table. This inner arm is inclined downward and inward as in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and is broadened to provide a memberadapted to be engaged by thetone arm 20 of the phonograph which is movable across the disk 21 in the usual 7 the inner arm 11 so that but very slight depression of this inner arm will be suffi cient to raise the locking finger 13 above the lug 14 thus permitting the disk 6 and shaft 5 .to which this disk is secured, to be rocked in a counter-clockwise direction by the coil spring 15.

a In using this braking device, the disk 21 is of special construction. In the preferred form illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the disk is providedon its upper face with the usual spiral thread which receives the stylus or needle 22 carried by the reproducer 23. At the inner end of this thread, the disk is provided with an arcuate recess 24. This recess is positioned on the disk immediately at the end of the piece which is to be reproduced. As the tabl e 'l, and consequently disk 21, is rotated in the direction indicated, the tone arm 20 will be swung in toward the center of the disk. 'When the end of the piece being reproduced is reached, the tone arm will be immediately above the inner end portion of inner arm 11 of trip lever 11. When the needle drops into the recess 24, the tone arm will engage the inner arm of the trip lever thus depressing the same and raising the locking finger 13 above the lug 14. As soon as the finger 13 is raised out of engagement with lug 14, the coil spring 15 acts to swing disk 6 into engagement with the peripheral face of table 1, this disk yieldingly engaging the table due to'its resiliency, thus stopping the table quickly but avoiding all undue shocks or jars. When the disk 6 is rocked into operative position, the shaft 5 will also be rocked in a counterclockwise direction, thus swinging the arm 8 and the trip lever 11 outward from above the disk 21, in the direction indicated by thearrow in Fig. 1 of the drawings. By this construction, the table is stopped as soon as the end of the piece being reproduced has been reached, and the supporting arm and trip lever 11 are automatically swung from above the table thus permitting easy removal of the disk and the placing of a new disk upon the table. When the new disk has been placed upon the table,'the

inner arm 11 of trip lever 11 may be grasped and depressed slightly, after which the lever and arm 8 are swung inward over the new disk into their initial position, the

lockingfinger 13 again engaging behind the lug 14, this; movement of the trip lever and supporting arm also serving to move the braking disk 6 out of engagement with the table 1 so as to release the same.

The form of disk in which the recess 24 is used must, necessarily, berelatively thick in construction.

order to permit any appreciable drop in the tone arm 20. For this reason, I only use this recessiin connection with thick disks such as the Edison standard disk now in common use. In disks of the thinner type, I prefer to employ an arcuate groove 25 which communicates with the thread of the disk immediately at the end of the piece being reproduced. This groove is so curved as to cause the tone arm 20 to swing inward into engagement with the inner arm 11 ofthe trip lever 11, thus depressing the same and releasing the braking device in the manner previously described.

This device is more particularly adapted for use in connection with the Edison phonograph, but it will be evident that it may be equally well used with any other standard phonograph with slight variations in The device may be quickly and easily applied without necessitating any change whatever in the construction of the phonograph itself, and, as above pointed out, when the table is stopped the tripping lever and the supporting arm therefor are automatically moved from above the table thus permitting ready removal of the disk, which I consider an important feature of my invention.

What I claim is 1. In phonograph cut-offs, a rotary table, a shaft rockably mounted adjacent the periphery of the table, a resilient braking member eccentrically secured on said shaft, means for normally holding the shaft in rocked adjustment so as to hold said braking member out of engagement with said table, means for rocking the shaft when released so as to move the braking member into engagement with the table, and means carried by the shaft and engageable by a tone arm moved across the table for releasing said shaft when the tone arm reaches a predetermined position above the table.

2. In phonograph cut-offs, a bracket, a shaft rotatably mounted therein, a braking disk eccentrically secured on said shaft, means for rotating the shaft in one direction, a tripping lever pivotally supported intermediate its'ends and adapted to be engaged by the tone arm of a phonograph so as to have its inner arm depressed thereby, and a member carried by the said bracket and in engagement with the outer arm of said lever for normally locking the shaft against rotation.

3. In phonograph cut-offs, a bracket, a shaft rotatably supported therein, a braking disk eccentrically secured on said shaft, means for rotating the shaft in one direction, a supporting arm carried by said shaft and projecting radially of the same, and a tripping lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends in the inner end of the said supporting arm, said bracket being provided With an integral lug and the outer end of said lever normally engaging said lug so as to lock the shaft against rotation.

l. In phonograph cut-ofi's, a bracket, a shaft rotatably mounted therein, a braking disk eccentrically secured to said shaft,

means for rotating the shaft in one direc tion, a supporting arm mounted on said shaft and projecting radially therefrom, a tripping lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends in the inner end of said supporting arm, said tripping lever projecting through the upper portion of said shaft and having its outer end formed to provide a lockin' finger, the upper portion of said shaft fieing bifurcated to accommodate the tripping lever, and a locking lug carried by the bracket and engageable by the locking finger of said tripping lever for normally locking the shaft against rotation.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

JOSEPH N. M. KEYZER. Witnesses M, E. JoNEs, M. A. OOONNOR.

(Sc-pica of tibia patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the commissioner of Watenta,

Washington, D. G. 

